1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to lifting and stacking and, more specifically, to a mechanical device forming a station having an inlet area with sensors to detect ingress of a hamper or similar nestable container whereby a plurality of parallel lifting elements complimentary of the said container, may grasp the container and lift it to perform a stacking operation when combined with a plurality of stacked containers.
Forming the present invention is a plurality of walls providing structure and mounting for sensors and controls for selecting containers having an open end forming an entrance, within said entrance a plurality of guides, lifting elements and adaptors are actuated upon detection of an incoming container operable in lifting said container for stacking by utilization of a chain drive and motor having adjustable plates coupled to said lifting elements.
Additionally the present invention is capable of lateral adjustment to suit differently sized containers utilizing attachments for the lifting of hampers, wire containers and 084C containers along with having a plurality of lockout controls for better control and safety precautions while operating a lifting and stacking procedure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other stacking devices designed for lifting and stacking containers. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 2,894,605 issued to Leavitt on Jul. 14, 1959.
Another patent was issued to Heide et al on Aug. 27, 1963 as U.S. Pat. No. 3,101,851. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 3,770,143 was issued to Breitbach on Nov. 6, 1973 and still yet another was issued on Aug. 16, 1977 to Bowbry et al as U.S. Pat. No. 4,042,124.
Another patent was issued to Fisher on May 9, 1978 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,244. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,515 was issued to Dorner et al on Sep. 12, 1989. Another was issued to Siglock on Aug. 3, 2004 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,769,668 and still yet another was issued on Nov. 15, 1985 to Lefort as European Patent No. EP0182727.
Another patent was issued to Dorner on Jun. 23, 1988 as European Patent No. EP0296601 Yet another U.K. Patent No. GB2353776 was issued to Oakes on Aug. 24, 1999. Another was issued to Nagao on Oct. 26, 1999 as Japanese Patent No. JP 11292489.
A fork lift truck comprising a frame, said frame including horizontal base having supporting wheels and further including a pair of spaced, parallel channel bars having front and rear flanges defining outwardly facing channels, said bars being attached to and extending upwardly from said base and four crossmembers, including a top crossmemeber, a second cross member disposed below and adjacent said top cross member. A third cross member below said second cross member and a fourth crossmember below said third crossmember and above said base.
In a pan conveying system for stackable baking pans a continuously moving main conveyor operative to carry forwardly a consecutive series of stackable pans to and beyond a pan control station, first automatic means at the rearward end of said control station positioned in cooperating partially-overlying relation to said main conveyer and operative to sense pans as they are delivered thereto in consecutive series and effect their successive lateral removal from said main conveyor and onto an elevator lift platform, said platform being responsive to lateral pan delivery thereto to move downward one pan height thereby to enable stacking of a pan stack of predetermined height thereon, said means including a discharge conveyer disposed at least one full stack length below said main conveyer and operative to transfer full pan stacks from said elevator lift platform as formed for removal and storage preparatory to re-use, second automatic means positioned forwardly of said first means at the forward end of said control station in cooperating partially-overlying relation to said main conveyer and operative to unstuck pans from full stacks and effect their successive lateral delivery onto said main conveyer forwardly of said first means from an elevator lift platform, said platform being responsive to lateral pan removal therefrom to move upward on pan height thereby to enable unstacking of a pan stack supported thereon, said second means including an inlet conveyer disposed a least one full stack height below said main conveyer and operative to transfer full pan stacks thereto, and sequence control means forwardly of said second means operative to sense the pan supply on said main conveyer forwardly of said pan supply on said main conveyer forwardly of said pan control station and effect selected initiation and interruption of operations on said first and second means to maintain desired rate of delivery of pans of a predetermined type by said main conveyer forwardly of said pan control station.
An apparatus for transferring baking trays and the like of ferromagnetic material between a tray conveyor system and a stack wherein an elevated tray conveyer system supports and advances articles laterally of a stack elevator which is operative to position the stack with the top tray at a level adjacent the tray conveyor, an endless type magnetic overhead conveyor overlies the elevator and tray conveyor, and a tray transfer mechanism is provided for transferring trays between the overhead conveyor and tray transfer mechanism is provided for transferring trays between the overhead conveyor and stack. The apparatus can be arranged to effect either a tray stacking or tray unstacking operation
In a pan unstacking and stacking system, stacks of pans are vertically positioned by pairs of spaced, parallel lift chains and pan engaging members mounted thereon. The lift chains are driven by drive shafts and drive sprockets which engage the upper and lower courses of a drive chain, respectively, thereby permitting adjustment of the spacing between the pan engaging members to accommodate pans of various sizes. The drive chain is in turn driven by a fluid powered cylinder operating through a clutch and brake apparatus to control the vertical positioning of the pan engaging members and pan stacks mounted thereon. Pans are transferred laterally relative to pan stacks supported on the pan engaging members by means of magnets positioned along a line in a horizontal plane situated above a stack and V-belts mounted for rotation around parallel courses situated on opposite sides of the line of magnets and including horizontal portions extending coincident therewith. To effect unstacking, magnets are lowered to engage the uppermost pan from a stack and then are raised to engage the pan with the belts, whereby the pan is transferred laterally. To effect stacking, the belts position a pan above the pan engaging members, after which the pan is pushed downwardly out of the field of the magnets and is dropped onto the stack.
Apparatus for separating, or de-nesting, the lowermost flanged container from a nested stack of flanged containers is characterized by a flange support member reciprocally movable from a first to a second rectilinear position. The flange support member has first and second flange support surfaces thereon, the second flange support surface being rectilinearly behind and in a vertical plane above the first flange support surface. In the first position, the first flange support surface supports the flanges of the lowermost container above an opening provided in a baseplate. As the flange support member rectilinearly displaces to the second position, a lifting surface lifts the flanges of the next-lowermost container onto the second flange support surface cotemporaneously with the withdrawal of the first flange support surface out of its supporting relationship with the flanges of the lowermost container. Thus, the flanges of the next-lowermost container are supported on the second flange support surface above the opening in the baseplate as the lowermost container passes therethrough.
An apparatus for unstacking and stacking containers. The apparatus includes a frame defining a compartment to receive a stack of containers, and a guide mechanism mounted within the frame to guide the stack in vertical movement. Located beneath the compartment is a conveyor, which in the unstacking mode, will deliver a stack of containers to the compartment and discharge individual containers. A vertically movable lift mechanism is mounted in the frame and includes a plurality of pivotable lift members disposed to engage a rim on the second lowermost container, to elevate the stack, and a plurality of holding members mounted on the frame and disposed to engage the upper surface of the rim on the lowermost container to hold the lowermost container against elevation. After elevation of the stack, the separated lowermost container is in a ready position to be conveyed away on the conveyor, depending on a need in the conveying system. In the stacking mode of operation, individual containers are moved on the conveyor to a position beneath the compartment and each container is elevated in the compartment by the lift members and held in the elevated position by the holding members. A second container is then moved into the compartment and elevated into contact with the first container, moving the first container upwardly to form a stack, and the stack is held by the holding members. After completion of the stack, the stack can be lowered onto the conveyor and conveyed to a discharge site.
A jack for lifting an object includes a base assembly and a jacking assembly. The base assembly has a frame with a base member having a nesting chamber, lifting arms pivotally connected to the base member, and a support member for supporting the object. The support member is pivotally connected to the lifting arms and is disposed parallel to the base member. The support member and the lifting arms pivot with respect to the base member into positions including a fully raised position wherein the support member is lifted away from the base member and a fully lowered position wherein the support members and the lifting arms are at least partly nested within the nesting chamber. The jacking assembly is connected to the base assembly for moving the support members and the lifting arms from the fully lowered position towards the fully raised position.
A lifting device comprising a welded chassis 1 on which is fixed in an articulated manner at its lower part a single vertical tubular post 3 along which moves a movable carriage 16 supporting an elevator drawn by a cable actuated by a manual or electric winch. The length of the post may be increased by inserting nestable elements into one another. The winch is fixed onto a winch support 12 which is connected to the chassis and which locks the post in a vertical position. For transporting and handling the device, the post folds in a horizontal position over the chassis and receives the winch support. For assembly, the winch support is unfolded into a vertical position and locked by means of the two struts 14 , then the winch by pulling on the cable directs the post into a vertical position; it remains only to install the pins 6 and 9 for locking the post. The movable carriage may be equipped with a safety brake which locks the carriage and its assembly to the post in the event of the cable breaking.
An apparatus for unstacking and stacking containers (1). A frame (16) defines a compartment (18) to receive a stack (4) of containers (1) delivered by a conveyor (5), a guide mechanism (27, 28) and a vertically movable lift mechanism (33) including lift members (56) to engage a rim (2) on the second lowermost container, to elevate the stack (4), and holding members (63, 64) to engage the upper surface of the rim (2) on the lowermost container to hold the lowermost container against elevation. After elevation of the stack (4), the separated lowermost container is in a ready position to be conveyed away on the conveyor (7). In the stacking mode of operation, each container (1) is elevated by the lift members (56) and held in by the holding members (63, 64). A second container (1) is then elevated, moving the first container upwardly to form a stack (4). After completion of the stack (4), the stack (4) can be lowered onto the conveyor (5, 7) and conveyed to a discharge site.
Apparatus for stacking or destacking containers comprises a stacking or destacking assembly 1, means 21 for positioning a stack of at least one container 23 within said stacking or destacking assembly, the assembly including means 14, 15 for raising the stack 17 such that the base of the lowermost container of the stack 17 is at a height greater than the height of the container, means 14, 15, 19 for locating a container directly below the raised stack, and means 14, 15 for adding said located container to the bottom of the stack or for removing said located container from below said stack. As shown, apparatus for destacking nested open-topped containers comprises permanent guide platform members 14, retractable lift platform members 15 and stack engaging arms 19. Means 21 for delivering a stack may be a wheeled support platform or dolly, and means for removing a destacked container may comprise a conveyor (13) with an end portion retractable from beneath the apparatus to allow entry of the dolly.
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To stack up containers longitudinally with a forklift used for transporting open containers loaded with steel pipes, marine containers and the like. SOLUTION: A forklift is composed of frames 2 to be inserted into longitudinal lower pockets B of a container A, front wheels 3 provided in the front side of the frames 2, rear wheels 4 provided in the rear side of the frames 2, forks 5 provided so that they can be elevated with respect to the frames 2 between the front 3 and rear 4 wheels and lift up the container A, an elevating device 6 provided in the rear side of the frames 2 to elevate the forks 5, and a supporting device 7 provided in the front side of the frames 2 to support the end of the forks 5, and it is to specially lift up the container A from the longitudinal direction.
While these stacking devices may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.